Priorities

Published 7:20 pm, Thursday, March 11, 2010

Priorities

What is happening to the city of Stamford? As a native, I am getting more and more depressed over what has transpired -- everything from library services getting cut to more wells coming up contaminated.

The latest casualty is the elimination of half of the Social Services Department. While I firmly believe that concessions need to be made, they seem to affect the middle class and elderly population. I am saddened to see the removal of Ellen Bromley's position. While I don't know Ellen personally, my best friend who works in the non-profit sector has told me how valuable Ellen is to the city of Stamford. While Bob Lupinacci claims that needs will be met, I'll guarantee that the wait time for someone to get a response will seem like an eternity.

The city will save approximately $150,000 by cutting staff and services. What's really sad is that this figure represents one of the numerous six-figure salaries we pay to members of various city agencies. I believe there are other areas that the administration can look at in order to save costs.

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I am a caregiver to an elderly Mom and while I'm grateful that I haven't had the need to contact the Social Services Department, I shudder to think about the response time I'll get when or if I make that call.

It is with deep sadness that I learned of the passing of Greenwich DTC Chair Dave Roberson. The first time I met Dave was in Frank Farricker's living room. I was the new chair of the New Canaan DTC and Frank was running for the state Senate seat in the 36th District. Dave was there to advise us all.

When Jim Himes left the post of Greenwich DTC chair to run for Congress, Dave took over. We saw each other fairly regularly as contemporary chairs, getting together for dinner with others from the 4th Congressional District, to discuss strategy and divvy up jobs. Dave was always front-and-center, willing to do whatever was needed.

Dave and I got to know each other better on road trips to Pennsylvania during the primary days of 2008. Along with other Obama activists, we made phone calls and went door-to-door. We worked closely together on the Himes campaign in the Fall of 2008. Dave would come to the Springdale office to work on our canvassing program when he wasn't manning the headquarters in Greenwich, and we celebrated together in Washington when we went to Jim's swearing-in.

The last time I saw Dave was at the "Party for the Party" at the Fat Cat Pie Company in Norwalk a few weeks back. Dave was the quintessential Democrat -- working tirelessly for the party with no personal agenda. He was someone all of us active in politics could look up to as a shining example. We will miss you, Dave.

Somebody must remind Jim Himes that he represents the people of the 4th Congressional District in Connecticut. He doesn't represent Nancy Pelosi or the Democratic leaders in Congress.

I've listened to people who have attended meetings, with the congressman to discuss the "Health Care Bill." A great majority of the people at those meetings speak out against the bill. Yet every time Himes discusses it he says that there is great support for it! What meetings is he attending? What people is he listening to? It obvious he's not listening to his constituents. He's obviously not trying to please the voters who elected him. He certainly doesn't represent them. He represents Ms. Pelosi and her cronies.

It's quite obvious come November we must elect someone who is concerned with opinions of the voters and taxpayers of the 4th District. It's certainly not Mr. Himes!

Long Island Sound is a hallmark of Connecticut -- creating lasting memories for our families, promoting vibrant tourism and fishing industries and providing essential habitat for wildlife. Every summer, Connecticut residents and people throughout the region come to enjoy the beaches. Inland, the system of rivers and streams that feed the Sound also provides spectacular vistas, canoeing and fishing grounds.

However, since Bush-era Supreme Court decisions gutted clean-water protections, Connecticut's waterways and waterways across the country have lost federal safeguards. The Clean Water Act no longer guarantees that all water in the U.S. is protected from limitless dumping.

As summer draws nearer, our U.S. representatives have the opportunity to pass legislation that would protect the Sound and all state waterways. We need Congressman Himes to urge his colleagues to act promptly to restore the Clean Water Act to ensure that all our waterways are clean enough to swim in and fish from, and all Americans have safe drinking water.

The writer is a field associate for Environment Connecticut a citizen-based advocacy organization.

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